Introduction to cli-table3

cli-table3 is a powerful Node.js module that allows developers to generate beautifully formatted tables in the console. It’s an improved version of the original cli-table library with several added features and better performance. This guide will introduce you to the basics of cli-table3 and provide numerous API examples to help you get started.

Installation

  
    npm install cli-table3
  

Creating a Basic Table

To create a basic table, you can use the following code snippet:

  
    const Table = require('cli-table3');
    const table = new Table();
    table.push(['Name', 'Age', 'Gender']);
    table.push(['John Doe', 28, 'Male']);
    table.push(['Jane Doe', 32, 'Female']);
    console.log(table.toString());
  

Customizing Table Border

You can customize the table border using the following code:

  
    const table = new Table({
      chars: {
        'top': '═',
        'top-mid': '╤',
        'top-left': '╔',
        'top-right': '╗',
        'bottom': '═',
        'bottom-mid': '╧',
        'bottom-left': '╚',
        'bottom-right': '╝',
        'left': '║',
        'left-mid': '╟',
        'mid': '─',
        'mid-mid': '┼',
        'right': '║',
        'right-mid': '╢',
        'middle': '│'
      }
    });
    table.push(['Name', 'Age', 'Gender']);
    table.push(['John Doe', 28, 'Male']);
    table.push(['Jane Doe', 32, 'Female']);
    console.log(table.toString());
  

Setting Column Width

You can define the column widths as demonstrated below:

  
    const table = new Table({
      colWidths: [20, 10, 10]
    });
    table.push(['Name', 'Age', 'Gender']);
    table.push(['John Doe', 28, 'Male']);
    table.push(['Jane Doe', 32, 'Female']);
    console.log(table.toString());
  

Using Table Headers

Here is how you can add headers to your table:

  
    const table = new Table({
      head: ['Name', 'Age', 'Gender']
    });
    table.push(['John Doe', 28, 'Male']);
    table.push(['Jane Doe', 32, 'Female']);
    console.log(table.toString());
  

Aligning Text

You can align text within the cells as shown in this example:

  
    const table = new Table({
      head: ['Name', 'Age', 'Gender'],
      colAligns: ['left', 'right', 'center']
    });
    table.push(['John Doe', 28, 'Male']);
    table.push(['Jane Doe', 32, 'Female']);
    console.log(table.toString());
  

Practical Application Example

Finally, let’s look at a practical application of cli-table3 in a simple CLI app:

  
    const inquirer = require('inquirer');
    const Table = require('cli-table3');
    
    const users = [
      { name: 'John Doe', age: 28, gender: 'Male' },
      { name: 'Jane Doe', age: 32, gender: 'Female' }
    ];
    
    inquirer.prompt([
      {
        type: 'input',
        name: 'name',
        message: 'Enter name:'
      },
      {
        type: 'input',
        name: 'age',
        message: 'Enter age:'
      },
      {
        type: 'list',
        name: 'gender',
        message: 'Select gender:',
        choices: ['Male', 'Female']
      }
    ]).then(answers => {
      users.push({ name: answers.name, age: answers.age, gender: answers.gender });
      const table = new Table({
        head: ['Name', 'Age', 'Gender']
      });
      users.forEach(user => {
        table.push([user.name, user.age, user.gender]);
      });
      console.log(table.toString());
    });
  

With the examples provided above, you can create a wide range of tables in your CLI applications using cli-table3. Experiment with different configurations to get the style and format you desire.

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